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Great Idea!! Discount broker Charles Schwab & Co. entered the exchange-traded fund, or ETF, arena Monday by announcing the launch of four ETFs, with four more set for December. To boost sales, Schwab is waiving its customary fee of $12.95 per trade if the ETFs change hands on Schwab's platform. The commission-free feature will be permanent, said Peter Crawford, a Schwab senior vice-president.

Gold-related stocks, which are predominantly mining companies, "are a leveraged play on gold," says Joseph Foster, a portfolio manager for Van Eck International Investors Gold. Here's why: If it costs a company $800 to mine an ounce of gold, and gold is $1,000 an ounce, the profit for the company is $200. If gold rises to $1,100, the profit becomes $300. That's a 50% rise in profits off a 10% rise in the price of gold.

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